Inlet and outlet air distributing duct for buildings having automatic damper means



April 29, 1947.

K. J. WENDEL 2,419,806 INLET AND OUTLET AIR DISTRIBUTING DUCT FOR BUILDINGS HAVING AUTOMATIC DAMPER MEANS Filed May 3, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 29, 1947.

K. J. WENDEL 2,419,806 INLET AND OUTLET AIR DISTRIBUTING DUCT FOR BUILDINGS HAVINGv AUTOMATIC DAMPER MEANS Flled May 3 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29, 1947 v T AIR DISTRIBUTING INGS HAVING AUTO- NIEANS INLET" AND OUTLE DUCT FOR BUILD MATIC DAMPER Kenneth J. Wendel, ParkRapids, Application May 3, 1944, Serial No. 533,870 1. Claim., (01. 98-32) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in ventilating systems for buildings, and is designed primarily for use in dairy barns and other livestock, poultry and farm buildings, and has for its primary object to provide means for supplying fresh air to the building and removing the foul air therefrom without the aid of fans or other devices for artificiallycirculating theair.

More specifically, the invention comprises the use of air conduits extending from one side of the building to the other and having communication with the atmosphere at each end of the conduit for admitting fresh air into one end thereof and discharging the foul air from the other end thereof, depending on the direction of the wind..

A still further object is to provide manual and automatic control means for the air conduits to regulate the volume of air entering the building in accordance with wind pressure.

Another object is to provide a ventilating system of this character of simple and practical construction, which is emcient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and prefabricate'in 4, 6, 8 and 10 foot sections, and install in operative position in a building, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout; and in which:

Figure I' is a fragmentary transverse sectional View through a dairy barn showing my invention installed in position therein.

Figure .2 is a top plan view of the air conduit with parts broken awayand shown in section.

Figure 3 is a, longitudinal sectional view through the barn and showing one of the air conduits in side elevation and with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through one end of the air conduit.

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of one of the hoods covering the end of the conduit.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the barn showing a modified conduit construction.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and first with respect to the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, the numeral 5 designates the floor of a dairy barn having the cattle-stalls 6 at each side thereof .and including a. ceiling or loft floor 1 supported on the posts 8 and beams 9, .a row of the posts 8 and beams 9 being arranged at each side of the center of the learn, as shown to advantage in Figure 1 of the drawings.

An air conduit I0 is secured to one side of each of the beams 9, the conduits being of identical construction and accordingly a detailed explanation of onewill sufiice for both. The conduitmay be constructed of light weight metal, wood. or other suitable material, the conduit extending entirely through the barn from one side thereof to the other and communicating with the atmosphere at each of said sides of the barn by means of screened openings l I.

Secured to the outer side of the wall of the lbarn is a hood structure l2 which is open atits bottom and covers the screen opening .,II to permit air currents to enter the conduit by wayof the open lower edge of the hood through the screen H, as shown by the arrows in Figure 4; A transverse groove I3 is formed in the bottom of the air conduit I0 adjacent each end thereof and in which a gate-type valve I4 is slidably positioned, one end of the valve I 4 extending outwardly through an opening IS in one side of the conduit. The valve I4 is adapted to be moved inwardly transversely of the conduit from one side thereof to the other, and the upper edge of the valve is spaced from the top of the conduit, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, so as not tov completely obstruct the passage of air therethrough. The outer end of the valve I4 is formed With an opening If; within which a suitable tool may be engaged forslidably actuating the valve into its open or closed position.

Positioned immediately inwardly of the valve I4, adjacent each end of the conduit I 0, is an automatic damper or valve I1 and comprises a sheet metal plate secured on a shaft I 8 journaled in the opposite sides of the conduit with one end of the shaft projecting outwardly thereof and to which the segment of a pulley I9 is secured.

The valve I! is off balanced on the shaft I 8 to provide a relatively large end 20 and a relatively small end 2|, the large end of the valve having a downturned flange 22 formed thereon. A counterbalancing weight 23 is secured to the pulley 19 by means of a rope or cable 24, the weight normal]; holding the valve I! in a horizontal position, as shown in Figure 4.

order to position the hood' 3TaboVe thE dQ r' Otherwise, the

avoid interference therewith] construction of the air conduits is identical to that heretofore explained.

In the operation of the u e 92 mitigate? one end of the air conduit I6, depending on the direction in which the wind is blow'iiig tlie volume of air being controlled by the manually operated slide valvefllfll or .the automatic valve ordamper'l]. i The air inside the barn is usually warmer than theatmosphere; due to the body heat of 'the animalsitherein and thus the' fresh air entering the barn at one end :ofthe conduit being cooler and heavier will tend to.drop through the o enings 25 in the bottom of the conduit adjacent the intake end the'reofand will'the'n circulate thr'oughthe barn. "As 'this air is slowly 'm'ovin'g, it become's warmed and at'the' same tini'e 'gath'ers moisture from i the airwithin the barn' and be comingiighter risesiagain and as it nears the ceiling of the barn'is'draiwn into the openings adjacent the discharge end ofthe" 'conduit,'-as' -7 shown' -by the ai rows in'I-igure 3 of the drawings,

4. ily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, claim is:

A ventilating system for buildings comprising an air conduit mounted adjacent the ceiling of the building and extending horizontally through the b iil ding from one side thereof to the other, 'each'en'd'oT theconduitbeing' o'pen and having communication with the atmosphere through the what I walls of the building, said conduit having openandrthen escapes throng discharge "end {of the conduit. i In bri'nging in the fresh air, as above described,

the dewpoint or condition or saturationis rriade considerably-more" remote as the "moisture is thus carried out of the building before the'air reaches the saturation' point, thus keeping the' building dry and suppliedwith-fresh a'ir'at the same time.

whenthe' windis blowing from'an'." opposite direction, theaboveidescribed discharge end of the"" coriduit-the n becomes-the intake end' and the intake" "end serves as the discharge end' for thair." U: When the force of' air entering the intk, 9nd of itheubcnduit =increases the pressure emoteof air-striking the flange 22 of the automatic damper" o'r'valveTl" will force the large end 20 of' the valve "downwardly *to' vmove the same into a closed 'positionin' accordance with pres a ure of air subjectedwheretol it is'believedthe details of construction, opermen and advanta g es of' the device-will bel' df inits bottom to provide communication with h --interior' of f ilfiT-bllildillE, a damper pivotally tedijythe-co duit adjacent each end thereof and having off balance ends to provide relatively aarge and small ends on the damper, a downturned flange on the large end of the damper faciii'g' towardsthe inlet opening of the conduit aridfida'ipted to respond to predetermined air pressure entering the coriduit to swing the damper vertical y i to a 19 9d os tion, a counterbalance wei ht sec red-t9 thezdamper onorma main? horiz nta position, a ate tain the. let er i a valveislidably mounted transversely of the con duit ad ac ntfiaoh end thereof and between a dampers and :themnduit ends for manually control in the-su ply .of air to said condu an the'discharge of supply therefrom, a screened inlet and a screened outlet for said conduit, and a hood adap ed for attaching to the outside oi'ithe buildin and vcoverin the t p and sides of theends ocf-thecond i ts. 1 KENNETH J. WENDEL.

, The following references are of record in the 71??? Wi Mimi 

